Creamy Thai Red Curry Lentil Vegetable Soup

One of the main things people visit the deli I work at for is soup.  Year round surprisingly, it can be 90F degrees and Summer and people still buy tons of it.  This time of the year though I can totally understand the need for soup.  I am making lots of soup at home, as well as at work.  Often times I get ideas for my soups to make at home based on the ones at work, and vice versa. I mean, why not think about dinner while I am making food all day at work, all of the smells make me hungry after all.  So, one of my coworkers had made a Thai red curry soup this week and I thought to myself, that sounds good.  I do love Thai red curry paste in things. But the problem for me is that a lot of the soups that I have had are made with it have a lot of broth, and not a lot of heft and chunky vegetables.  Which is good if you are the broth type of person, but I am not.  So, I decided to make one with chunky vegetables and lentils. I have never had a Thai red curry soup with lentils but this was a good time to try it.

It has been warmer this week, but the day I made this I felt really chilled because it was windy and damp outside, so it was the perfect day to have something aromatic and warm bubbling away on the stove.  It was really pretty simple to make.  You just get the lentils cooking with the flavorful things.  The curry, garlic and onions, simmering away until smelling amazing.  Then you add your veggies and cook a little longer, and dinner is ready!  I was craving something rich and delicious with a silky sauce, so I decided to add in coconut milk and peanut butter.  Along with the flavorful Thai red curry sauce, it was amazing! I stirred in some kale at the last minute to give it a little more color and a nutritional boost. That is one thing I do with all of my soups.  A handful of greens right at the end, it is a good way to get your daily dose in, and since it wilts them just slightly you can eat a lot more.  My Mom actually taught me that, but it is a good tip!  We used to make soups together when I was younger, and I can credit her for getting  me started making my own.

There is really no comparison with store bought versus home made soup. Home made tastes so much better, you will never go back when you start to prepare them!  If you are looking for a rich but healthy and warming soup to try this Winter, give this one a go!  If you want it a little more hearty even, cook some jasmine rice on the side and spoon that into the bowl too.  That is what I did for Eric, because he wanted rice with his.  I hope you are all staying warm this Winter!

Creamy Thai Red Curry Lentil Vegetable Soup
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 3 cups filtered water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp Thai Red Curry paste
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/3 tsp sea salt or to taste
• 2/3 cup French lentils
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch dissolved in 1 Tbsp filtered water
• about 4 large organic kale leaves, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

Directions:

1. Combine the 3 cups filtered water, onion, garlic, curry paste, red pepper, sea salt, and lentils in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils have softened somewhat, then add the carrots and potatoes, and cook for another 10, then add bell pepper and continue to cook until everything is tender, about 10 minutes more.
3. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, and arrowroot mixture and cook until thickened.
4. Stir in the kale and cook until bright green and slightly softened, about a minute.  Remove from heat and serve!